A characterization of the data, including its intended use and limitations.

Abstract:

This data set is a digital soil survey and generally is the most detailed level of soil geographic data developed by the National Cooperative Soil Survey. The information was prepared by digitizing maps, by compiling information onto a planimetric correct base and digitizing, or by revising digitized maps using remotely sensed and other information.
This data set consists of georeferenced digital map data and computerized attribute data. The map data are in a soil survey area extent format and include a detailed, field verified inventory of soils and miscellaneous areas that normally occur in a repeatable pattern on the landscape and that can be cartographically shown at the scale mapped. A special soil features layer (point and line features) is optional. This layer displays the location of features too small to delineate at the mapping scale, but they are large enough and contrasting enough to significantly influence use and management. The soil map units are linked to attributes in the National Soil Information System relational database, which gives the proportionate extent of the component soils and their properties.

Purpose:

SSURGO depicts information about the kinds and distribution of soils on the landscape. The soil map and data used in the SSURGO product were prepared by soil scientists as part of the National Cooperative Soil Survey.

Supplemental information:

Digital versions of hydrography, cultural features, and other associated layers that are not part of the SSURGO data set may be available from the primary organization listed in the Point of Contact.

Language of dataset: en

Point Of Contact

Contact information for the individual or organization that is knowledgeable about the data.

Organization: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service

How the data are represented, formatted and maintained by the data producing organization.

File or table name: depgis.DEP.SOILS_POLY

Data type: vector digital data

Data format: SDE Feature Class

Native dataset environment: These data are maintained by the State of Connecticut using ArcGIS software developed by Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) in a Microsoft Windows operating system environment.

Time Period of Data

Time period(s) for which the data corresponds to the currentness reference.

Keyword thesaurus: U.S. Department of Commerce, 1987, Codes for the Identification of the States, the District of Columbia and the Outlying Areas of The United States, and Associated Areas (Federal Information Processing Standard 5-2): Washington, DC, National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Restrictions and legal prerequisites for accessing or using the data after access is granted.

Access constraints:

None

Use constraints:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, should be acknowledged as the data source in products derived from these data.
This data set is not designed for use as a primary regulatory tool in permitting or citing decisions, but may be used as a reference source. This is public information and may be interpreted by organizations, agencies, units of government, or others based on needs; however, they are responsible for the appropriate application. Federal, State, or local regulatory bodies are not to reassign to the Natural Resources Conservation Service any authority for the decisions that they make. The Natural Resources Conservation Service will not perform any evaluations of these maps for purposes related solely to State or local regulatory programs.
Photographic or digital enlargement of these maps to scales greater than at which they were originally mapped can cause misinterpretation of the data. If enlarged, maps do not show the small areas of contrasting soils that could have been shown at a larger scale. The depicted soil boundaries, interpretations, and analysis derived from them do not eliminate the need for onsite sampling, testing, and detailed study of specific sites for intensive uses. Thus, these data and their interpretations are intended for planning purposes only. Digital data files are periodically updated. Files are dated, and users are responsible for obtaining the latest version of the data.

+ Graphic Example

Browse Graphic

Graphic illustration of the data.

Browse graphic 1

Open - Full view of soils

Browse graphic 2

Open - Detail view of soils

+ Spatial Reference Information

Horizontal Coordinate System

Reference system from which linear or angular quantities are measured and assigned to the position that a point occupies.

Projected coordinate system:

Name: NAD 1983 StatePlane Connecticut FIPS 0600 Feet

Map units: survey feet

Geographic coordinate system:

Name: GCS North American 1983

Coordinate System Details

Map projection

Map projection name: Lambert Conformal Conic

Standard parallel: 41.200000

Standard parallel: 41.866667

Longitude of central meridian: -72.750000

Latitude of projection origin: 40.833333

False easting: 999999.999996

False northing: 499999.999998

Planar Coordinate Information

Planar coordinate encoding method: coordinate pair

Coordinate representation:

Abscissa resolution: 0.000250

Ordinate resolution: 0.000250

Planar distance units: survey feet

Geodetic model

Horizontal datum name: North American Datum of 1983

Ellipsoid name: Geodetic Reference System 80

Semi-major axis: 6378137.000000

Denominator of flattening ratio: 298.257222

Vertical Coordinate System

Reference system from which vertical distances (altitudes or depths) are measured.

The geographic areal domain of the data that describes the western, eastern, northern, and southern geographic limits of data coverage.

Bounding Coordinates

In Projected or local coordinates

NAD 1983 StatePlane Connecticut FIPS 0600 Feet

Boundary

Coordinate

Left

730539.099000 (survey feet)

Right

1263096.479000 (survey feet)

Top

944228.808000 (survey feet)

Bottom

547370.080000 (survey feet)

In Unprojected coordinates (geographic)

GCS North American 1983

Boundary

Coordinate

West

-73.742071 (longitude)

East

-71.781359 (longitude)

North

42.052474 (latitude)

South

40.959168 (latitude)

+ Data Structure and Attribute Information

Overview

Summary of the information content of the data, including other references to complete descriptions of entity types, attributes, and attribute values for the data.

Entity and attribute overview:

Map Unit Delineations are closed polygons that may be dominated by a single soil or miscellaneous area component plus allowable similar or dissimilar soils, or they can be geographic mixtures of groups of soils or soils and miscellaneous areas.
The map unit symbol uniquely identifies each closed map unit delineation. Each symbol corresponds to a map unit name. The map unit key is used to link to information in the National Soil Information System tables.
Map Unit Delineations are described by the National Soil Information System database. This attribute database gives the proportionate extent of the component soils and the properties for each soil. The database contains both estimated and measured data on the physical and chemical soil properties and soil interpretations for engineering, water management, recreation, agronomic, woodland, range, and wildlife uses of the soil.
The National Soil Information System database contains static metadata. It documents the data structure and includes such information as what tables, columns, indexes, and relationships are defined as well as a variety of attributes of each of these database objects. Attributes include table and column descriptions and detailed domain information.
The National Soil Information System database also contains a distribution metadata. It records the criteria used for selecting map units and components for inclusion in the set of distributed data.
Special features are described in the feature table. It includes an area symbol, feature label, feature name, and feature description for each special and ad hoc feature in the survey area.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service

ACRES

Alias: ACRES Type: Double Width: 8 Precision: 38 Scale: 8

SHAPE.area

Alias: SHAPE.area Type: Double Width: 0 Precision: 0 Scale: 0

SHAPE.len

Alias: SHAPE.len Type: Double Width: 0 Precision: 0 Scale: 0

ESRI Feature Description

Description of spatial objects in the data using the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) terminology.

Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) terms

depgis.DEP.SOILS_POLY

ESRI feature type: Simple

Geometry type: Polygon

Topology: FALSE

Feature count: 235322

Spatial index: TRUE

Linear referencing: FALSE

SDTS Feature Description

Description of point and vector spatial objects in the data using the Spatial Data Transfer Standards (SDTS) terminology.

Spatial data transfer standard (SDTS) terms

depgis.DEP.SOILS_POLY

Type: G-polygon

Count: 235322

+ Data Quality and Accuracy Information

General

Information about the fidelity of relationships, data quality and accuracy tests, omissions, selection criteria, generalization, and definitions used to derive the data.

Logical consistency report:

Certain node/geometry and topology GT- polygon/chain relationships are collected or generated to satisfy topological requirements (the GT-polygon corresponds to the soil delineation). Some of these requirements include: chains must begin and end at nodes, chains must connect to each other at nodes, chains do not extend through nodes, left and right GT-polygons are defined for each chain element and are consistent throughout, and the chains representing the limits of the file are free of gaps. The tests of logical consistency are performed using vendor software. All internal polygons are tested for closure with vendor software and are checked on hard copy plots. All data are checked for common soil lines (i.e., adjacent polygons with the same label). Edge locations generally do not deviate from centerline to centerline by more than 0.01 inch. The Soil Survey of Connecticut is bordered on the north by the State of Massachusetts; to the east by the State of Rhode Island; to the south by Long Island Sound and to the west by the State of New York. Feature edges in this soil survey are not matched to those in Westchester County, New York, Putnam County, New York, Dutchess County, New York, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, Hampden and Hampshire Counties, Western Part, Massachusetts, Hampden and Hampshire Counties, Eastern Part, Massachusetts, and the State of Rhode Island soil surveys. Acceptable joins as outlined in Revisions to the National Soils Handbook, dated 8/27/97 were achieved with all of the surrounding surveys. Feature labels do not always match, but soil interpretations are similar enough to achieve an acceptable join. Map units in this survey that join map units in adjacent surveys share a common component, common stoniness class, and common slopes. Differences across state lines occurred relative to map unit design and scales used in mapping. Typically, map units designed for a scale of 1:12000 are comprised of consociations, complexes, and undifferientiated units. Complexes and undifferentiated units are comprised of two or more components. In areas where these complexes or undifferentiated units join a consociation (one named component), this is an acceptable join if the adjoining map units share a common component, common stoniness class, and common slopes thus resulting in similar soil interpretations. An exception is made for adjoining organic soils, which are considered to match. The scale is used to determine how much detail can be shown on the map. To deal with the limitations of scale, some map units were designed to cover two stoniness classes and two slope classes. Where map units that are very stony join extremely stony, they will be considered a acceptable join since each stoniness class is commonly an inclusion in the other during the mapping process. Non-stony map units must match non-stony map units. Overlapping slope ranges will be considered as matching.

Completeness report:

A map unit is a collection of areas defined and named in terms of their soil components or miscellaneous areas or both. Each map unit differs in some respect from all others in a survey area and each map unit has a symbol that uniquely identifies the map unit on a soil map. Each individual area, point, or line so identified on the map is a delineation.
Soil Scientists identify small areas of soils or miscellaneous areas that have properties and behavior significantly different than the named soils in the surrounding map unit. These minor components may be indicated as special features. If they have a minimal effect on use and management, or could not be precisely located, they may not be indicated on the map.
A map unit has specified kinds of soils or miscellaneous areas (map unit components), each with a designated range in proportionate extent. Map units include one or more kinds of soil or miscellaneous area. Miscellaneous areas are areas that have little or no recognizable soil.
Specific National Cooperative Soil Survey standards and procedures were used in the classification of soils, design and name of map units, and location of special soil features. These standards are outlined in Agricultural Handbook 18, Soil Survey Manual, 1993, USDA, NRCS; Agricultural Handbook 436, Soil Taxonomy, 1995, USDA, NRCS; and all Amendments; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, (current issue) USDA, NRCS; National Soil Survey Handbook, title 430-VI,(current issue) USDA, NRCS.
The actual composition and interpretive purity of the map unit delineations were based on data collected by scientists during the course of preparing the soil maps. Adherence to National Cooperative Soil Survey standards and procedures is based on peer review, quality control, and quality assurance. Quality control is outlined in the memorandum of understanding for the soil survey area and in documents that reside with the Natural Resources Conservation Service state soil scientist. Four kinds of map units are used in soil surveys: consociations, complexes, associations, and undifferentiated groups.
Consociations - Consociations are named for the dominant soil. In a consociation, delineated areas use a single name from the dominant component in the map unit. Dissimilar components are minor in extent. The soil component in a consociation may be identified at any taxonomic level. Soil series is the lowest taxonomic level. A consociation that is named as a miscellaneous area is dominantly that kind of area and minor components do not significantly affect the use of the map unit. The total amount of dissimilar inclusions of other components in a map unit generally does not exceed about 15 percent if limiting and 25 percent if nonlimiting. A single component of a dissimilar limiting inclusion generally does not exceed 10 percent if very contrasting.
Complexes and associations - Complexes and associations consist of two or more dissimilar components that occur in a regularly repeating pattern. The total amount of other dissimilar components is minor extent. The following arbitrary rule determines whether complex or association is used in the name. The major components of an association can be separated at the scale of mapping. In either case, because the major components are sufficiently different in morphology or behavior, the map unit cannot be called a consociation. In each delineation of a complex or an association, each major component is normally present though their proportions may vary appreciably from one delineation to another. The total amount of inclusions in a map unit that are dissimilar to any of the major components does not exceed 15 percent if limiting and 25 percent if nonlimiting. A single kind of dissimilar limiting inclusion usually does not exceed 10 percent.
Undifferentiated groups - Undifferentiated groups consist of two or more components that are not consistently associated geographically and, therefore, do not always occur together in the same map delineation. These components are included in the same named map unit because their use and management are the same or very similar for common uses. Generally they are grouped together because some common feature, such as steepness, stoniness, or flooding, determines their use and management. If two or more additional map units would serve no useful purpose, they may be included in the same unit. Each delineation has at least one of the major components, and some may have all of them. The same principles regarding the proportion of minor components that apply to consociations also apply to undifferentiated groups. The same principles regarding proportion of inclusion apply to undifferentiated groups as to consociations.
Minimum documentation consists of three complete soil profile descriptions that are collected for each soil added to the legend, one additional per 3,000 acres mapped; three 10 observation transects for each map unit, one additional 10 point transect per 3,000 acres.
A defined standard or level of confidence in the interpretive purity of the map unit delineations is attained by adjusting the kind and intensity of field investigations. Field investigations and data collection are carried out in sufficient detail to name map units and to identify accurately and consistently areas of about 3 acres.

Attribute Accuracy

Accuracy of the identification of data entities, features and assignment of attribute values.

Attribute accuracy report:

Attribute accuracy is tested by manual comparison of the source with hard copy plots and/or symbolized display of the map data on an interactive computer graphic system. Selected attributes that cannot be visually verified on plots or on screen are interactively queried and verified on screen. In addition, the attributes are tested against a master set of valid attributes. All attribute data conform to the attribute codes in the signed classification and correlation document and amendment(s).

Positional Accuracy

Accuracy of the positional aspects of the data.

Horizontal accuracy report:

The accuracy of these digital data is based upon their compilation to base maps that meet National Map Accuracy Standards at a scale of 1 inch equals 1,000 feet. The difference in positional accuracy between the soil boundaries and special soil features locations in the field and their digitized map locations is unknown. The locational accuracy of soil delineations on the ground varies with the transition between map units.
For example, on long gently sloping landscapes the transition occurs gradually over many feet. Where landscapes change abruptly from steep to level, the transition will be very narrow. Soil delineation boundaries and special soil features generally were digitized within 0.01 inch of their locations on the digitizing source. The digital map elements are edge matched between data sets. The data along each quadrangle edge are matched against the data for the adjacent quadrangle. Edge locations generally do not deviate from centerline to centerline by more than 0.01 inch.

+ Data Source and Process Information

Data Sources

Information about the source data used to construct or derive the data.

Data source information

SCS1

Title: Soil Survey of Hartford County

Originators: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service

Hydrographic features to include double line streams and area features greater than 3 acres in size were subset from USGS 1:24000 scale Digital Line Graphs updated to 1985 and 1990 imagery by NRCS and used as a template for soils digitizing

Includes all soil polygon features for Connecticut in GeoDatabase feature format.

Beginning date: 20000602

Ending date: 20050715

Currentness reference:

publication date

Process Steps

Information about events, parameters, tolerances and techniques applied to construct or derive the data.

Process step information

Process Step 1

Process description:

Field procedures for the second order soil survey included plotting of soil boundaries determined by field observation and by interpretation of remotely sensed data. Boundaries were verified at closely spaced intervals, and the soils in each delineation were identified by traversing and transecting the landscape. The classification and map unit names were progressively reviewed December 1993 and August 2001.

Process date: 2001

Data Source used

CTDEP2, CTDEP3, NRCS2

Process Step 2

Process description:

Hartford County, Connecticut, had a previously published soil survey, 1962, at a scale of 1:20000. Landuse was updated to 1990, limited mapping was performed in areas where significant changes in classification occurred, and mapunits were correlated to the Connecticut legend.

Process date: 1994

Data Source used

SCS1

Title: Soil Survey of Hartford County

Originators: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service

New London County, Connecticut, had a previously published soil survey, 1983, at a scale of 1:15840. Landuse was updated to 1985/1986. Mapunits were correlated to the Connecticut legend. Small mapunits less than 3 acres and narrow drainage ways may have been combined with adjacent units.

Process date: 1994

Data Source used

SCS2

Title: Soil Survey of New London County

Originators: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service

Tolland County, Connecticut, had a previously published soil survey, 1966, at a scale of 1:15840. The original survey was developed mainly for agricultural interpretations, therefore, wooded areas were not mapped as detailed as open areas. Approximately 75% of the county was remapped to current standards during the period from 1985 to 1994. The new data was published in 1996. Mapunits were correlated to the Connecticut legend.

Process date: 1994

Data Source used

SCS3, NRCS1

Process Step 5

Process description:

Windham County, Connecticut, had a previously published soil survey, 1981, at a scale of 1:15840. Landuse was updated to 1985/1986. Mapunits were correlated to the Connecticut legend. Small mapunits less than 3 acres and narrow drainage ways may have been combined with adjacent units.

Process date: 1994

Data Source used

SCS4

Title: Soil Survey of Windham County

Originators: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service

Fairfield County, Connecticut, had a previously published soil survey, 1981, at a scale of 1:15840. Landuse was updated to 1990. Mapunits were correlated to the Connecticut legend. Small mapunits less than 3 acres and narrow drainage ways may have been combined with adjacent units.

Process date: 2001

Data Source used

SCS5

Title: Soil Survey of Fairfield County

Originators: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service

New Haven County, Connecticut, had a previously published soil survey, 1979, at a scale of 1:15840. Landuse was updated to 1990. Mapunits were correlated to the Connecticut legend. Small mapunits less than 3 acres and narrow drainage ways may have been combined with adjacent units.

Process date: 2001

Data Source used

SCS6

Title: Soil Survey of New Haven County

Originators: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service

Middlesex County, Connecticut, had a previously published soil survey, 1980, at a scale of 1:15480. Landuse was updated to 1990, limited mapping was performed in areas where significant changes in classification occurred, and mapunits were correlated to the Connecticut legend.

Process date: 2001

Data Source used

SCS7

Title: Soil Survey of Middlesex County

Originators: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service

Litchfield County, Connecticut, had a previously published soil survey, 1970, at a scale of 1:15840. The original survey was developed mainly for agricultural interpretations, therefore, wooded areas were not mapped as detailed as open areas. Approximately 75% of the county was remapped to current standards during the period from 1994 to 2001. Mapunits were correlated to the Connecticut legend.

Process date: 2001

Data Source used

SCS8

Title: Soil Survey of Litchfield County

Originators: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service

Hydrography was transferred from 1:15840 acetates to the 1:15840 orthophotographs as a reference only for soil delineations. This data was not digitized from the orthophotographs, but digitally subset from USGS DLGs. Field maps and published atlas sheets were ratioed to approximately 1:15840 when necessary and then manually compiled using imagery transfer techniques to 1:15840 orthophotograph enlargements. Slight adjustments were made to soil boundaries near hydrography for clarity. These adjustments occurred along narrow floodplains, shorelines, and other areas of fluctuating water levels. Water bodies for Litchfield County were adjusted from the aerial photography during remapping. Special soil features were compiled on film overlays and manually digitized using GRASS 4.1.3 and ArcInfo 8.2. Soil delineations were digitized using one of the following procedures:
1) Soil delineations were inked on 7mil overlays and scanned at 300dpi. Utilizing ProVec software, data were edited and converted to vector format. Data was then imported into ARC/INFO 3.4D and georeferenced to Connecticut State Plane feet - NAD 27. Each quadrangle has sixteen tics, therefore, data was transformed by ninths maintaining Root Mean Square (RMS) less than .003. The hydrography template was imported, vectors edited and labels created.
2) Soil delineations were manually digitized using ARC/INFO 3.2.1. Data were registered in Connecticut State Plane coordinates maintaining RMS less than .003. Weed and fuzzy tolerances maintained at 3. Data were transferred to ARC/INF0 6.0 for approximate edgematching and label editing, exported to DLGs, and imported to GRASS 4.1.3. Data was projected to UTM coordinates NAD 27 and edited for node to node edgematching.
Soil special features were manually digitized by using one of the following software products, GRASS 4.1.3 or ArcInfo 8.2. Compilation, digitizing, and quality control were performed by soil scientists and cartographic technicians at the Connecticut Natural Resources Conservation Service. Digital scanning and vector conversion was performed by private contractor. Digital editing was performed at the Connecticut Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection - Natural Resources Center. Digital soils delineations were visually verified using background digital orthophotograph imagery at 1:12000 to ensure accuracy at this scale. Organic soils, bedrock controlled soils and other easily identified features were utilized to ensure vertical integration and accurate soil delineation placement. Digital review for adherence to SSURGO standards was performed by the Missouri NRCS Digitizing Unit. Edits were made in ArcEdit. The survey area boundary was replaced with the boundary arcs from adjacent surveys, where possible. A new ARC/INFO coverage reflecting these edits was produced and reviewed for adherence to SSURGO standards by Missouri NRCS Regional Digitizing Unit staff. The certified data were uploaded to the Soil Data Warehouse for archiving and distribution.

The previously certified digital data of the Connecticut Statewide Update, Subset 1, were updated for
incorporation into the Connecticut statewide survey. Boundaries were replaced with the boundary arcs from adjacent subsets of Connecticut
as well as other adjacent surveys. The updated data were incorporated into the statewide digital data, and a new ARC/INFO coverage reflecting these edits was produced with ARC/INFO 7.2.1 and reviewed for adherence to SSURGO standards by Missouri NRCS Regional Digitizing Unit staff.

Process date: 2005

Data Source used

NRCS1, NRCS2

Process Step 13

Process description:

The Natural Resources Conservation Service State Soil Scientist or delegate, upon completion of data quality verification, determined that the tabular data should be released for official use. A selected set of map units and components in the soil survey legend was copied to a staging database, and rating values for selected interpretations were generated. The list of selected interpretations is stored in the database table named sainterp.

Process date: 20050715

Data Source used

NASIS

Title: National Soil Information System (NASIS) data base

Originators: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service

Publisher: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service

Publication place: Fort Collins, Colorado

Publication date: 2005

Data type: tabular digital data

Media: database

Source contribution:

attribute (tabular) information

Beginning date: 2005

Ending date: 2005

Currentness reference:

publication date

Process Step 14

Process description:

The Natural Resources Conservation Service State Soil Scientist or delegate verified that the labels on the digitized soil map units link to map units in the tabular database, and certified the joined data sets for release to the Soil Data Warehouse. A system assigned version number and date stamp were added and the data were copied to the data warehouse. The tabular data for the map units and components were extracted from the data warehouse and reformatted into the soil data delivery data model, then stored in the Soil Data Mart. The spatial data were copied to the Soil Data Mart without change.

Process date: 20050715

Data Source used

NASIS

Title: National Soil Information System (NASIS) data base

Originators: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service

Publisher: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service

Publication place: Fort Collins, Colorado

Publication date: 2005

Data type: tabular digital data

Media: database

Source contribution:

attribute (tabular) information

Beginning date: 2005

Ending date: 2005

Currentness reference:

publication date

Process Step 15

Process description:

The tabular data were extracted from the data mart without change. The spatial data's coordinate system was transformed to UTM Zone 18, Northern Hemisphere (NAD 83) using ESRI ArcObjects 8.3 "ConvertFeatureClass" and exported to an ESRI shapefile. ESRI ArcInfo/Workstation 8.3 was used to read the shapefile, clean the double precision cover with a dangle length of 0.000001 and a fuzzy tolerance of 0.000001. The cover was written out as an interchange file without blank compression.

Process date: 20071230

Data Source used

NASIS

Title: National Soil Information System (NASIS) data base

Originators: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service

Publisher: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service

Publication place: Fort Collins, Colorado

Publication date: 2005

Data type: tabular digital data

Media: database

Source contribution:

attribute (tabular) information

Beginning date: 2005

Ending date: 2005

Currentness reference:

publication date

Process Step 16

Process description:

Interchange file named smu_a_ct600.e00 was downloaded from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service website. Using ArcInfo Workstation software, the interchange file was imported to ArcInfo coverage format and converted from UTM Zone 18, North American Hemisphere (NAD83) to Connecticut State Plane Coordinate System (NAD83). Name of resulting coverage was SOIL_POLY. Polygon and feature topology was established for SOIL_POLY coverage using the ArcInfo Workstation BUILD command. Metadata was imported from soil_metadata_ct600.xml file using ArcCatalog software. Metadata was edited to include attribute definitions for the following polygon attributes: AREASYMBOL, SPATIALVER, MUSYM, and MUKEY. These definitions are from the SSURGO Metadata - Table Column Descriptions document published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Organization: State of Connecticut, Department of Environmental Protection

Export to Shapefile Format - Converted polygon feature data from ArcInfo Coverage named SOIL_POLY to a Shapefile named Soils_Poly.shp. Excluded the AREA, PERIMETER, SOIL_POLY#, SOIL_POLY-ID attributes from the Shapefile because their values are only maintained by ArcInfo software with data that is in ArcInfo Coverage format.

Organization: State of Connecticut, Department of Environmental Protection

Description of the data known by the party from whom the data may be obtained, liability of party distributing data, and technical capabilities required to use the data.

Resource description:

State of Connecticut SSURGO

Distribution liability:

Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer system at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, no warranty expressed or implied is made by the Agency regarding the utility of the data on any other system, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty. The U.S. Department of Agriculture will warrant the delivery of this product in computer readable format, and will offer appropriate adjustment of credit when the product is determined unreadable by correctly adjusted computer input peripherals, or when the physical medium is delivered in damaged condition. Request for adjustment of credit must be made within 90 days from the date of this shipment from the ordering site.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, nor any of its agencies are liable for misuse of the data, for damage, for transmission of viruses, or for computer contamination through the distribution of these data sets. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.)

Distribution Point of Contact

Contact information for the individual or organization distributing the data.

Access instructions: Select desired survey area at above Internet Web site. An email address is required for receipt of instructions on retrieval via anonymous FTP. Anticipate a delay between submission of request at Web site and receipt of email message.

Access instructions: Select desired survey area at above Internet Web site. An email address is required for receipt of instructions on retrieval via anonymous FTP. Anticipate a delay between submission of request at Web site and receipt of email message.

Access instructions: Select desired survey area at above Internet Web site. An email address is required for receipt of instructions on retrieval via anonymous FTP. Anticipate a delay between submission of request at Web site and receipt of email message.

Access instructions: Select desired survey area at above Internet Web site. An email address is required for receipt of instructions on retrieval via anonymous FTP. Anticipate a delay between submission of request at Web site and receipt of email message.

Fees: There is currently no direct charge for requesting data or for retrieval via FTP.

Ordering instructions:

Visit the above mentioned Internet Web Site, select state or territory, then select individual soil survey area of interest. Spatial line data and locations of special feature symbols are in ESRI ArcGIS (ArcView,ArcInfo) shapefile, coverage and interchange (i.e., export) formats. The National Soil Information System attribute soil data are available in variable length, pipe
delimited, ASCII file format.

Turnaround: Typically within four hours

Distribution Point of Contact

Contact information for the individual or organization distributing the data.

Description: This metadata is displayed using the FGDC Plus Stylesheet, which is an XSL template that can be used with ArcGIS software to display metadata. It displays metadata elements defined in the Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (CSDGM) - aka FGDC Standard, the ESRI Profile of CSDGM, the Biological Data Profile of CSDGM, and the Shoreline Data Profile of CSDGM. CSDGM is the US Federal Metadata standard. The Federal Geographic Data Committee originally adopted the CSDGM in 1994 and revised it in 1998. According to Executive Order 12096 all Federal agencies are ordered to use this standard to document geospatial data created as of January, 1995. The standard is often referred to as the FGDC Metadata Standard and has been implemented beyond the federal level with State and local governments adopting the metadata standard as well.
The Biological Data Profile broadens the application of the CSDGM so that it is more easily applied to biological data that are not explicitly geographic (laboratory results, field notes, specimen collections, research reports) but can be associated with a geographic location. Includes taxonomical vocabulary. The Shoreline Data Profile addresses variability in the definition and mapping of shorelines by providing a standardized set of terms and data elements required to support metadata for shoreline and coastal data sets. The FGDC Plus Stylesheet includes the Dublin Core Metadata Element Set. It supports W3C DOM compatible browsers such as IE7, IE6, Netscape 7, and Mozilla Firefox. It is in the public domain and may be freely used, modified, and redistributed. It is provided "AS-IS" without warranty or technical support.

Instructions: On the top of the page, click on the title of the dataset to toggle opening and closing of all metadata content sections or click section links listed horizontally below the title to open individual sections. Click on a section name (e.g. Description) to open and close section content. Within a section, click on a item name (Status, Key Words, etc.) to open and close individual content items. By default, the Citation information within the Description section is always open for display.

Download: FGDC Plus Stylesheet is available from the ArcScripts downloads at www.esri.com.